BANGALORE: Miffed over the party's top brass sidelining him, sulking BJP Karnataka strongman BS Yeddyurappa today said he would not attend the party national executive to be held in Mumbai from May 24.

"I will not attend the party national executive," Yeddyurappa, who recently pushed the party government to a crisis that had threatened its survival, told reporters here.

However, Yeddyurappa sought to set at rest speculation about his future political moves, saying he will not join any political outfit including the Congress.

"There is speculation that I am going to join Congress. It is far from truth. There is no question of joining any political party", Yeddyurappa said after meeting people at his new "public meeting centre".

Yeddyurappa's reaction came against the backdrop of comments made by some Congress leaders over admitting the former chief minister into the party.

He said he would tour the state after May 30 to know the pulse of the people and take an appropriate decision on his future.

After sparking a crisis with nine ministers and several MLA loyal to him submitting their resignations, Yeddyurappa however, announced a few days ago that he had deferred his decision to quit the party.

The beleagured BJP leader, who has been facing a spate of corruption cases and a CBI probe, praised Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and described him as a "straight forward man and dynamic chief minister."

Yeddyurappa's remarks assume significance as Modi is also reportedly unhappy with the BJP central leadership over certain issues amid recent reports that he might not attend the BJP National Executive meeting.

He said there were problems in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka and wanted the party to introspect and resolve them.

Yeddyurappa said certain important leaders in Karnataka and Gujarat have expressed displeasure and wanted the upcoming national executive to deliberate on the "serious" issue.

"After (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, a leader like LK Advani is leading the party. He is capable of taking decisions for the good of the party. However, Anantkumar (party general secretary) is not allowing him take decisions and resolve crisis. Anantkumar is trying to keep the party under his clutches", he said.

"Anantkumar creates confusion and doubtful situation. It is very tragic that Anantkumar is not only misguiding the party, but also trying to dominate", he alleged.

BJP has leaders like Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, who had good leadership qualities, but Anantkumar is "suppressing" them, he said.

He charged that Kumar was preventing any MP from Karnataka though it has stalwarts like D B Chandregowda, Suresh Angadi and Basavaraj, from coming into prominence.

Yeddyurappa said he was hurt at the way he was treated in the party, which he built in the last forty years.

He said BJP General Secretary Dhamendra Pradhan, who is camping in the city since yesterday to resolve the crisis, met him. "I also spoke by phone to Gadkari and Jaitley", he added.

Scam-hit former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday mocked Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) central leadership and blamed party general secretary HN Ananth Kumar for the crisis in the faction-ridden party at the national and state levels

"After former prime minister AB Vajpayee retired from active politics, the party has been floundering in the absence of a statesman leadership. It is regrettable that the party president (Nitin Gadkari) is unable to take firm action against some leaders working against the party's interests. If steps are not taken to set right things, the party will face debacle at the national level," a bitter Yeddyurappa told reporters after a meeting with his loyalists at his new office in the city

Lashing out at Ananth Kumar, the MP from Bangalore South constituency, for the crisis in the party at the national and state level, Yeddyurappa said the general secretary was playing spoilsport and damaging the party by influencing the leadership negatively

"Though senior leader L.K. Advani has been leading the party after Vajpayee and is capable of taking correct decisions, Kumar has been thwarting him from resolving the crisis in the party by misguiding our national leaders and trying to dominate the party," Yeddyurappa asserted

Claiming that prominent national leaders in the party like former cabinet ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie were sidelined and the party's leaders in parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley suppressed from providing leadership, Yeddyurappa accused Ananth Kumar of influencing Gadkari and forcing him to act according to his whims and fancies

"In the recent biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from the state, Ananth Kumar forced the party leadership to select former IAS official Ramakrishna ignoring party leaders such as Nirmala Sitaraman from contesting," recalled the party's first chief minister in south India.

Refuting reports in a section of the media that he would be quitting the party to join the Congress, Yeddyurappa said such rumours should be treated with contempt as they were floated or planted by his adversaries like Ananth Kumar

"I am not quitting the party. Why should I? After all, I have worked for the party and built it over the years to bring it to power for the first time in south India and Karnataka and served the state for over five-six years as deputy chief minister and chief minister twice from February 2006 to July 2011," he observed

Asked if he would participate in the party's national executive meeting in Mumbai May 24-25, Yeddyurappa said as he no longer held any post in the party or the BJP government in the state, he would skip it as he was now only an ordinary party worker and a lawmaker in the state legislative assembly

"I don't want to attend the (national executive) meeting since I am disappointed with the way higher-ups are functioning. Though I tried to seek the president's intervention to resolve the crisis in the party's state unit, he (Gadkari) failed to honour the assurance he had given earlier and did not take any action against Ananth Kumar for indulging in anti-party activities," Yeddyurappa added.

Lauding Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a dynamic leader and for providing good governance in the western state, Yeddyurappa claimed that even Modi was peeved at the functioning of the party central leadership, which has been hijacked by a coterie around Gadkari and Advani and led by Ananth Kumar

Although, I personally support BSY and i have lots of reason for that. However, BJP is no mood to give him CM post.

If he will not become CM, then most likely BJP will lose 2013 Assembly election in Karnataka. Unfortunately, Ananth Kr and Nitin Gadkari who cannot win even 2 LS seats without Party symbol have more power than BSY who helped party to win 20 MP in K'ka.

Now, BJP is divided in two parts.
1> Mass leaders like Modi, Vashundhra, BSY, etc. lead by Modi himself.
2> M4 who are armchair Delhi politician.

Obedient part is ok as he is expected to follow RSS guideline since he is part of it for last 42 years. I do agree that BSY is undisciplined these days. But BJP central leaders should also understand that he is still the biggest mass-leader in Karnataka. Indeed, K'ka was the entry point for the party in South India. Party is more worried about Congress sponsored media campaign against him and neglecting own leaders who worked for party over four decades. Ultimately, The one who vote don't make-up their mind by seeing TV channels. There should be some mutual solution which will benefit party. If he leaves party, It will be huge loss to BJP and eventually gain to Congress and that is what Congress wants and doing through Media and CBI. It will take long time for BJP, to find another mass-leader like BSY in karnataka.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parameshwara has said that the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa can apply for primary membership of the Congress if he wishes to join the Congress.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of his visit to inspect the arrangements being made to host the All India Youth Congress Committee's national executive meeting here on Friday, Dr. Parameshwara said that Mr. Yeddyurappa had not yet sought the membership of the Congress.

If he applies for party membership, the high command would take a call, he said.

Welcoming Mr. Yeddyurappa adorning the walls of his new office with pictures of AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said, â€œAfter 40 years of being in politics, Mr. Yeddyurappa has realised the worth and principles of the Congress and is appreciating them. It is a welcome sign.â€

To a query, he said that the Congress had not attached much importance to Mr. Yeddyurappa's next political move.

Stating that the Congress was not putting pressure on the CBI in any of the cases assigned to it, he said that the investigating agency was doing its legitimate duty. In the case of Mr. Yeddyurappa also, it will perform its duty, he said.

The day BSY will join congress or forms his own party. All CBI cases will be closed and he will get clean chit. Most of the TV channels and print media will start showing him that he is very popular leader and his performance was good when he was CM between 2008-2011!

Congress holds the trump in politics in this country - CBI and some in judiciary. Congress ex-CMs SM Krishna and Dharam Singh [along with Kumaraswamy of JD(S) ]are implicated in illegal mining that peaked in 2008. Goa CM Digambar Kamat along with other state Congress leaders is involved in illegal mining, CBI and his own party shielded him but people of Goa sick of the ecological mess and the corruption threw him out. Going by the way media and CBI has been portraying him, one would think Yeddyurappa is the fountainhead of illegal mining. Anyways, interesting times ahead in Karnataka.

One big headache for the BJP. support BSY and he gets sentenced by the court then they are in trouble, and if they drop him he rebels and then bye bye to Karnataka.

Hate to be in the shoes of the leadership. The best course would be to support BSY, let the media and CBI harp on and on. If he gets charged by the court then let him resign and carry on as if nothing has happened. We have seen UPA perfect this art, now BJP should also perfect this. the nation can go to hell for all one cares....

Yeddyurappa should start a regional party for Karnataka. Our state has been getting a raw deal by voting national parties, while states like TN or UP or WB etc get away with getting a bigger share of the pie as the respective state has to be kept happy.

Yeddyurappa should start a regional party for Karnataka. Our state has been getting a raw deal by voting national parties, while states like TN or UP or WB etc get away with getting a bigger share of the pie as the respective state has to be kept happy.

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What about the country getting a raw deal because of these regional parties?

Solution is to allow only national parties to compete at national level (I started a thread also for this). Otherwise we will keep having scenarios wherein a state like UP that is endemically corrupt and backward will be getting more than its fair share because the regional party has to be kept happy.

See the number of regional political parties, every region has its share, but more states have regional parties rather than national.

SP -> Muslim-Yadav, local to UP
RJD -> Muslim-Yadav, local to Bihar
BSP -> Dalits, local to UP
DMK -> All Tamils other than Brahmins, local to TN
AIADMK -> Same as above for DMK, except by fluke a Tambrahm got to rule the roost as a result of her proximity to MGR.
JD(U) -> local to Bihar
Akalis -> local to Punjab
NCP -> local to Maharashtra
SS, MNS -> same as above
TMC -> local to WB
Kerala Congress -> party of Kerala Christians
IUML -> party of Kerala Muslims
AGP -> local to Assam
TDP, TRS, YSR Congress -> Andhra
NC, PDP -> J & K